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[nafex] is it tediums or tedia?



I took a peek at that definitive-copyright-type-place and found that 
indeed they say that you don't technically have to place a notice in 
order to obtain and retain copyright protection.  It exists the moment 
the work is created.  But that begs the question of what protection 
exists after one posts information in a forum such as this.

I also found the following: 

Use of the notice may be important because it informs the public that 
the work is protected by copyright, identifies
     the copyright owner, and shows the year of first publication. 
Furthermore, in the event that a work is infringed, if a
     proper notice of copyright appears on the published copy or 
copies to which a defendant in a copyright infringement
     suit had access, then no weight shall be given to such a 
defendant's interposition of a defense based on innocent
     infringement in mitigation of actual or statutory damages, except 
as provided in section 504(c)(2) of the copyright
     law. Innocent infringement occurs when the infringer did not 
realize that the work was protected.

     It also goes on at length about the fact that state contract law 
governs the extent to which you may transfer your copyright interest 
in certain materials. It appears that while you may ORIGINALLY own 
your copyright without having to do anything else, subsequent behavior 
can endanger those rights. 

  If I were serious about availing myself of the full benefit of 
copyright protection, I think I would be foolish not to make that 
clear within the body of each text I wanted to protect, especially 
when I was posting to a public forum such as this, or to a magazine, 
such as the Pomona.  

   The other thing to consider, and which, I think, may be to a large  
extent applicable in this discussion is this:  often a great deal of 
energy is expended on a theoretical or principled position, rather 
than on a practical reality.  Friend of mine writes a column for the 
local paper.  Local paper got bought by behemoth.  Behemoth came to 
friend and said:  henceforth, we own the copyright as a work for hire 
of all columns, sign here or you are fired, have a nice day.  Friend 
came to me, terribly upset, how can they do this, how dare they, etc.  
 Friend once every 5 years or so takes all of his columns (which are 
of a nature observation variety) and republishes them in a book, which 
he hands out to friends and acquaintances.  He was horrified that they 
were going to take this pleasure away from him.  We talked through his 
outrage and hurt.  Then we sat down and talked turkey.  The newspaper 
pays him, the book does not. 

   Now that he has signed the contract, he intends to continue his 
practice of publishing his book.  His theory of ownership is going to 
be the small potatoes theory -- namely, that he is small potatoes and 
therefore he can do as he pleases.  Behemoth will be wasting time and 
money attempting to enforce the copyright it now owns against him. 
Indeed, in this context, owning the copyright is meaningless because 
it has little or no value.

  I realize this example turns the normal copyright situation on its 
head, and kind of reverses the equities, but it brings to the 
forefront something that is unfortunately true:  namely, that a lot of 
the energy expended in this argument is not energy that reflects 
anything approaching economic efficiency, which is a good thing, 
generally.  Instead, it is energy that is being expended on a point of 
 personal privilege or right, which, while a good thing as well, can 
become tedious when it is not grounded somewhere in economic reality.  

  I do not say that all personal rights bow to economic efficiency. I 
do think, however, that if I wish to stand on a punctilio of 
ownership, I would do best to make that clear on the thing I claim to 
own.  So, if you don't like thieves, engrave your stuff with your 
name.  And if you want to retain copyright to stuff posted to a public 
forum, make it clear each time you post.  Not doing so is going to 
reduce the effectiveness of subsequent actions taken to preserve 
whatever copyright protections you have.

   This post is not intended to be argumentative or attacking.  It is 
simply a perspective on a thread I have found interesting.  I hope 
folks will find it interesting.  

   

    


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